Mumbai: A petty dispute allegedly turned into an arson rampage in Mumbai's Sakinaka after a man allegedly poured petrol on a cow and set 15 two-wheelers on fire, besides damaging electricity meters and commercial shops in the locality. The Sakinaka police arrested the accused, identified as Akash Yadav, on Wednesday.
Earlier Dispute Suspected As Motive
According to the police, the accused allegedly targeted the cow and vehicles following a confrontation with local resident Vijay Yadav two days earlier, reported Hindustan Times. Vijay had reportedly confronted Akash after he allegedly knocked down several parked motorcycles. The accused is said to have abused and threatened him following the argument, prompting suspicion that the later attacks were an act of revenge.
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Cow Suffers Burns In Early-morning Attack
The incident came to light around 5.30 am when Vijay and his younger brother, who were sleeping in a room near their cattle shed, heard the cows mooing in distress. On rushing outside, they found one of the animals with its mouth on fire. Vijay's brother immediately doused the flames, but the cow sustained burn injuries.
The animal was among eight cows kept in a shed owned by Vijay. The family later discovered that fires had also broken out in Chaudhari Estate Compound on Khairani Road, where several two-wheelers, electricity meters and parts of three to four commercial shops were damaged. They attempted to control the blaze before alerting the fire brigade and police. Firefighters then brought the fire under control.
CCTV Footage Helps Police Identify Accused
Police said CCTV footage showed Yadav moving around the locality carrying a bottle containing petrol between 5 am and 6 am. Investigators used the footage to identify him and arrested him a few hours later. The accused was allegedly under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.
“Based on the CCTV footage, Yadav was taken into custody for allegedly pouring petrol on the cow’s mouth and setting it ablaze. He then started fires that damaged motorcycles, electricity meters and commercial stalls in Chaudhari Estate Compound, Yadav Nagar,” a police officer said, as quoted by HT.
Police Register Animal Cruelty Case
The police have registered a case against the accused under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, along with other applicable provisions. Officials said Yadav is unemployed and has allegedly been involved in several previous cases related to creating a nuisance in the locality. Sakinaka police senior inspector Avinash Mandle confirmed the arrest and said further investigation was underway.
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